Thomas geane



(ModeL) T. CRANE;

. GATE LATGH. v No. 290,176. Patented Dec. 11', 1883.

'minesses:

v Attorney.

Usirrnn STATES.

PATEN tries.

THOMAS CRANE, OF FORT ATKINSON, WISCONSINASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO L. S. KELLOGG, OF SAME PLACE.

GATE-LATCH.

, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 290,176, dated December 11, 1883,

v 1 Application filed August 22, 1882. (Model) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS CRANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Atkinson, county of Jefferson, State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Gate- Latch, of which the following is a specificato provide for a two-way swing, as well as oneway, and still preserve the same convenience of opening the gate. I attain these objectsby the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevationof the entire device with the latch raised. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of Fig. 1 with post 13,

added, to which is secured catch I. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the entire device as it appears when the gate is closed and. latched.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A is the stile of the gate with the latching I device secured to it, Figs. 2 and 3, Plate 0,

with raised bar D abovethe opening E and two flanges across the back side of the plate, forming the groove 01 between them, and the two brackets c c, which project forward, with the two notches K K in the edge of the plate,

directly above them, constitute the bed-plate of the latch.

In Figs. 2 and 3 the above-described bedplate is shown secured by screws to stile A. 1

Handle F is rounded at the top, and projects above the stile for convenience in opening the.

gate. Directly below bar D is an offset, f, in

the handle, to make the lower end conform to the surface of the bed-plate, and at the same time allow the upper end to vibrate freely under the guide-bar D. The lower part of handle F is divided into prongs ff, which are connected at the lower ends by cross-bar G, having countersunk vertical slot 9 at its centhe pressure of the hand it will by its ownweight assume its bearings c 0 again, Fig. 3. The length of the space back of bar D limits the movement of handle F to the required distance for raising the latch. V

v The latch H, Fig. 8. is composed of four bars or parallels, h, h, h, and H, and is cast rectangular in form, and encircles the bedplate 0, also prongs f f, and rests upon each endof bar G. The groove d, which extends across the back side of bed-plateG, receives the rounded back bar, h, of the latch, in which it turns freely, to allow the latch to rise and fall sufficient to lock with catch 1. The lugs J upon the inside of bars h, which project in front of bed-plate O, lock the bar h in groove d. Bar H, which forms the front piece of the latch, will be recognized as an inverted catch, with its inclined planes and notch upon the under side, and movable, instead of stationary, upon the gate-post, as heretofore used.

'Thebarsh h, which form the sides of the latch, are curved upward to clear the catch I as they pass over it.

To adjust the parts, first place the cylindrical parallel h in groove d with the parallel H down- Ward. Then swing it forward, and lugs J J will swing through notches K K from the back to the front side of plate 0, after which pass the top of handle F upward through the opening E (in latch H) under bar D, and place the ends of bar G to rest upon brackets c 0. Then place the side parallels of the latch to rest upon bar G at a point directly beneath the lugs J J, Fig. 3, after which thewhole will beheld in place by means of stud I), placed in slot 9, upon which the handle will move freely the full length of the slot, the stud being riveted firmly inplate 0. When by a push or pull the handle F is moved laterally, as in Fig. 1, one end of bar G remains upon bracket 0, while the opposite end is raised. The latch, which rests upon it, is also raised to its full capacity.

\Vhen the handle F is released, the weight of the latch upon bar G is added to that ol' the handle, bringing them both to their original position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It will be observed that in the movement of the han dle either way the operation is the same, which adapts the latch to either a onewvay or twoway swing of the gate; also, that the same pull or push upon the handle which unla'tches the gate will open it without any impediment.

A handle may be made to project from the sides of the latch by an elongation of the ends of bar G. Again, it will be observed that the inclined planes that are usually used upon gate-catches are here shown upon the under side of the latch, commencing each side of the catch-receptacle H and slanting upward; also, that the catch-plate I is provided with a rounded projection to operate as a latch-lifter after the gate settles, so that the corners of the latch would otherwise butt against catch 1. This allows the gate to settle twice the depth of the catch-receptacle H and still raise the latch, making it operative upon the catch.

1 am aware that prior to my invention gatelatches have been made adapted to gates that swing one or both ways, with handles projecting from the sides, used, in connection with the latch. for the purpose of lifting it. I therefore do not claim such a combination, broadly; but

\Vhat I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In gate-fitstenings, the lugs c 0, arranged at the sides of the face-plate, the handle F, attached to the latter, provided with shoulders which rest upon the lugs, and the rectangularshaped latch H, constructed to operate together substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In gate-latches, the combination of the rectangular latch H, having lugs J J upon the side bars. with plate 0, having groove d, and notches K K in the side of plate G, for locking the latch to the plate, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

THOMAS CRANE.

In presence of H. A. PORTER, Cnas. M. PORTER. 

